Defrosted brisket at room temperature seven hours to speed up

[joellayman]

Brisket was in fridge for twelve hours. Took it out for roughly seven at room temperature and then put it back in to finish. Safe to smoke tomorrow?

 

[DougE]

Meat should always be thawed in the fridge, from the food safety standpoint, but I wouldn't have an issue. I've ate plenty of counter thawed meats and poultry over the years. Like I said, it isn't the safest way to defrost, so it is at your own risk.

 

[joellayman]

Meat should always be thawed in the fridge, from the food safety standpoint, but I wouldn't have an issue. I've ate plenty of counter thawed meats and poultry over the years. Like I said, it isn't the safest way to defrost, so it is at your own risk.

Thanks Doug!

 

[schlotz]

Also agree, it's far better to plan ahead and let a frozen brisket completely thaw in the fridge. I always allow a minimum of 4 days but usually I go 5.

 

[joellayman]

Also agree, it's far better to plan ahead and let a frozen brisket completely thaw in the fridge. I always allow a minimum of 4 days but usually I go 5.

Yeah, I'm gonna pitch this one.

 

[SmokinAl]

If the brisket was in the original cryovac, then I would wait until it’s completely thawed & open it up. If it’s bad you will smell it. If it smells OK, rinse it well put your rub on & cook it. If it were me I would go hot & fast for the cook, at least 275. Let us know what you decide.
Al

 

[bbqjefff]

I have one thawing on my counter but I'm going to put it in the fridge when I get home from work. It should be fine.

 

[joellayman]

If the brisket was in the original cryovac, then I would wait until it’s completely thawed & open it up. If it’s bad you will smell it. If it smells OK, rinse it well put your rub on & cook it. If it were me I would go hot & fast for the cook, at least 275. Let us know what you decide.
Al

 

[mike243]

I had to go buy 2 briskets last fall, cooking for a friend and he left 2 setting on the counter to thaw for 24 hours, I pitched them and went and bought 2 more, told his mom but not him what I did, was worth the cost to not make anybody sick and there was a lot of folks going to be eating

 

[jcam222]

According to the experts room temp thawing is not safe. I've done it more than once but I've stopped doing so. If I don't have time to thaw in the refrigerator I put the cryo pack in a cooler of cold water. Usually with a few pieces of meat that cooler water is frigid but it decreases thawing time a lot.

 

[DemonPit]

If you must thaw quick, and it in its original cryovac seal or your own vac sealed bag, place it in a pot of water in the fridge and fully submerge it. It will thaw out very fast this way, and food safe. I've had food poisoning many times in my life, more-so from scallops (apparently I'm allergic to them). And I LOVE scallops.

 

[forktender]

Thaw it under cold running water if it's still sealed up, place it in a plastic tub. Put the plastic tub in your sink or bathtub, with a little cold water running into the tub. We did this at the restaurant for yrs for meat, fish and fowl.

 

[Hijack73]

It's all about surface temp of the meat. Frozen to the core meat is fine to thaw at 70 degrees, especially if it's cryovac as long as it doesn't come up to over about 45 on the surface.

Would I let it sit there after it's thawed out 100%? Yes, for a while. Think about all of the people who let a brisket sit out on the counter for an hour or 2 to bring it up to room temp. I will sit stuff out to get a head start all of the time, an hour for a frozen chuck or a pork loin is nothing on the counter. Within about 2 I try to get it into the fridge. I am going to cook it if it thaw's completely immediately, not try to stick it back in the fridge though. That's just asking for a day hooked up to an IV to get rehydrated cause your body is ridding itself of toxins.

Forget about one and come home after work and it's sitting in a pool of condensation and barely feels under room temp (in my house that's 68, about all year round), I sigh heavily and do not eat it.

An 18 lb frozen brisket might be ok if I forgot it out on the counter while I went to work. Lot of mass there. For years I only had one fridge/freezer and I just didn't have room to thaw anything out in a fridge. Turkeys always went into a cooler full of ice on Monday's before Thanksgiving. So glad I actually own a garage fridge now.